[Mag]

Photography is subjective. We may think our own backyard is boring so don't post what other may like. Post what you think nobody is interested in, I don't mean bad photos but what you think isn't your best work.

A few of mine.

I took this photo from the hip, not wanting the person thinking I was taking a picture.


A shot of ScrapArt.





And this one of the first goose back from migration, looks lost.

[charmerci]

What a sleeper of a subject!

[JohnR]

That is a very nice shot!

[nathanm]

Sorry, couldn't resist! 

[nathanm]

Proof that pretty light alone does not make for a good photo.  A little bit of ruin can be aesthetically pleasing, but too much and it's a boring pile of bricks. Then add in an overly centered view and you've got that which ought to be stricken from one's hard drive.  I dunno why I bothered getting eaten by mosquitoes for this crap shot.

[MaxCast]

Nathan, did you have the urge to knock it over?  You know someones gonna.

[thunderbrick]

Sorry, couldn't resist! 

You beat me to it, Nathan!   

For you newbies, here was the problem:  Cameras normally assume you are aiming at a scene that has light areas, dark areas, and lots of middle tones, and it tries to average the light values to get proper exposure.  In this case most of the scene is bright white and lacking in middle tones.  That means the camera thinks the scene is a very bright "middle tone" image, so in its ignorance it darkens the images.  The real subject is the sofa and the sleeper, which comes out too dark.

Solution?  Outthink the camera and dial in an overexposure value of 0.7 or 1.0, or take the exposure reading half on the wall and half on the couch.

That is also a good technique when shooting on snow or on the beach.  High reflectance values cause any the camera to over react.

You OK with this explanation, Nathan?   

EDIT:  Nathan, that was pretty sneaky changing the image on the wall (took me several looks to catch it), but it REALLY makes it a great image!

[nathanm]

No, I didn't knock the wall over.  This was actually an old farmhouse of local legend.  By legend I mean "ghost story made up by silly kids".  It was known as "Sickleman's" and of course, the story is that the man that lived there killed his family with a sickle.  (Wisconsin does love us a good 'ol mass murdering farmer living in the boonies.)  It was a pretty dangerous place to visit even when it was more whole.  I didn't dare go up to the 2nd floor myself.  Last time I checked that corner wall was toppled.  I am not sure if it was human or nature, but it wouldn't take much either way to return it to earth.

Yep, that's a pretty good way of describing how the exposure meter works.  There was more white than there was black in the scene so the camera made the whites grayer.  If the couch was spot metered it may have clipped the white walls.  In this case it was good that the camera erred on the side of underexposure as it's generally better to brighten up a dark photo than tone down one with clipped highlights.

To take further artistic license you may want to colorize the man's clothes to match the mounted photo, but colorizing black surfaces can be a pain in the ass.  But with proper levels it's a decent photo as is.  I initially was bothered by the reflection in the glass, but then I noticed it's a reflection of another picture frame, so it's cool.

[Goosepond]

That's why I use my spot meter. I haven't figured it all out yet but I know the camera can be fooled. I'd rather make all the decisions rather than let the camera be in charge. 

Gene

[charmerci]

   I'm glad you guys had fun with my photo!

I just took the shot quickly and had it on my hard drive. When the "boring" subject came up, I just quickly posted it. If I was exhibiting it, I would have done some processing on it. To paraphrase Ansel Adams, 90% of photography is done in the processing.

[nathanm]

No processing, eh?  A sorry excuse charmerci....but really, you were exhibiting it! Come on guys, audiophiles…people obsessively concerned with quality…this is the internet, permanent mostly permanent home for all your contributions.  You'll want to at least make an effort to make your stuff look good. Otherwise you get situations where some jerkoff comes along and re-posts your photo with color correction.  Nobody wants that!

[charmerci]

Sure - let's post our best stuff on the internet. I like when people steal my best work....

Though I trust the AC folks, one can never be 100% positive all the time....

[jqp]

I finally saw a cell tower in Charlotte where they made a real effort to "disguise" it. The previous one I had seen a few years ago was disguised as a flag pole, withno flag.

[bside123]

Here's a few shots from a recent house renovation. It's interesting how the "mundane daily work" is actually quite engaging and artistic.

[Jon L]

Can't get much more boring than this foreclosed house with unfinished pool next to my house.


IMG_0624 by drjlo2, on Flickr

[jqp]

Odell Building Charlotte, through window

Yes, the corners of the Hearst Tower angle outwards

[jqp]

This is the 'Epicenter' in Charlotte, a retail/residential complex on the old convention center site. There were financial troubles...hence the rebar where the condos would have been. Maybe one day they will finish it.

This place has a CVS pharmacy, a couple of nicer restaurants, a slew of fast food places, a Bowling Alley /Movie Theater, a few nightclubs including Dale, Jr.'s 'Whiskey River'. It is connected to the Overstreet Mall, an enclosed 2nd storey walkway through downtown Charlotte. I will take a better picture of the Epicenter. The buildinmg with the blue roof is the bus terminal. And check out the sign...

[jqp]

I couldn't tell with the naked eye, but there is grass growing on the roof of this new building. At 200mm you can see that it is designed that way, although not tended very well. Although it does look like artwork...Maybe they will put a mountain goat out there...

[jqp]